Method Composition and Methods Thereof

Abstract

Provided is a material composition and method that includes forming a patterned resist layer on a substrate, where the patterned resist layer has a first line width roughness. In various embodiments, the patterned resist layer is coated with a treatment material, where a first portion of the treatment material bonds to surfaces of the patterned resist layer. In some embodiments, a second portion of the treatment material (e.g., not bonded to surfaces of the patterned resist layer) is removed, thereby providing a treated patterned resist layer, where the treated patterned resist layer has a second line width roughness less than the first line width roughness.

Description

PRIORITY DATA[0001]The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 628,355, filed Jun. 20, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 434,811, filed Dec. 15, 2016, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND[0002]The electronics industry has experienced an ever increasing demand for smaller and faster electronic devices which are simultaneously able to support a greater number of increasingly complex and sophisticated functions. Accordingly, there is a continuing trend in the semiconductor industry to manufacture low-cost, high-performance, and low-power integrated circuits (ICs). Thus far these goals have been achieved in large part by scaling down semiconductor IC dimensions (e.g., minimum feature size) and thereby improving production efficiency and lowering associated costs. However, such scaling has also introduced increased complexity to the semiconductor manufacturing process. Thus, t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent offers a novel material composition and method for treating resist material to improve its uniformity and performance. This treatment may be applied during the in-situ or post-treatment process. The technical effect is to enhance the accuracy and consistency of the resist material, leading to better performance of the overall manufacturing process.

Problems solved by technology

However, such scaling has also introduced increased complexity to the semiconductor manufacturing process.

However, CAR systems have encountered limitations which are difficult to overcome, such as poor photon absorption in thin films, moderate etch selectivity, and limited gains in resolution.

As such, chemically amplified resists alone may not be able to satisfy the next generation lithography requirements demanded by the continued advances in semiconductor technology.

Thus, existing techniques have not proved entirely satisfactory in all respects.

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